Means for breaking up liquid streams



Jan. 21, 1947. n. o. HUBBARD 2,414,741

- I MEANS FOR BREAKING UP LIQUID STREAMS Filed March 16, 1942 f 16 18 as I I 9 13 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 21, 1947 MEANS FOR BREAKING UP LIQUID STREAMS Deane 0. Hubbard, Niagara Falls,

to Hooker Falls, N. Y., a corpor Application March 16, 1942,

2 Claims. 1

More particularly, my invention relates to means for breaking up into droplets streams of conductive liquids flowing into or out of vessels, such as electrolytic cells, carrying electric current, and hence at a different electrical potential from the ground or similar adjacent vessels. The object of my invention is to prevent grounding of such vessels through such liquid streams, and the consequent loss of electrical energy and injury to the vessel from electrolysis. One particular object of my invention is to prevent the grounding of electrolytic cells, such as caustic alkali-chlorine cells, through the continuous stream of effluent flowing from the steel cathodes of such cells into steel funnels or header pipes into which the eiiluent is received.

Electrolytic cells for production of caustic soda and chlorine by electrolysis of sodium chloride are now made in units designed to carry electric currents of 5,000 to 10,000 amperes. The efliuent from a 10,000 ampere cell may amount to two liters of liquid per minute. These cells are connected in series in circuits which may consist of 200 cells. There may therefore be a difference of potential between the end cells of such circuits amounting to 700 volts, and if one end of the circuit should happen to be grounded, there may be a potential of 700 volts from the other end of the circuit to ground. In order to break up the effluent streams and prevent grounding of such cells, it has been customary to allow the stream to flow by gravity in free fall a distance of one to two feet from the efiiuent pipe through which the stream issues from the cell into the funnel in which the stream is caught. generally effective in breaking up the stream into droplets. However, instantaneous grounding of the cell may occur at infrequent intervals, and the funnel into which the stream is received is subject to slow disintegration from electrolysis. The funnels are sometimes made of non-conducting material. Said funnels are free from electrolysis, but the electrolysis is merely transferred through the stream flowing over the surfaces, to the steel header, where the destructive effect is even more serious. Moreover at certain times in the operation of such cells it becomes necessary to lower the effluent pipe and empty the cathode completely into the funnel. At such times the distance through which the stream falls is reduced to a few inches and the grounding much aggravated.

I have now succeeded in greatly reducing, if not entirely eliminating, the grounding of these This is Electrochemical Company,

N. Y., assignor Niagara ation of New York Serial No. 434,797

cells, by means of a device which I shall describe by reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a caustic sodachlorine cell of the type illustrated in U. S. Patent No. 1,866,065, showing the caustic soda effiu ent pipe, with my device afiixed thereto.

Fig. 2 is 9, plan view of my device.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of my device, half in section along line a-a. of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation along line 17-1) of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1: l is the base member of the cell, housing the anode assembly (not shown), and resting upon non-conducting members 2, which are supported from the floor by pedestals 3. Upon base member i is supported the cathode structure ll, preferably of steel, of which 5 is the outer enclosing wall. 6' is a cover, preferably of concrete, resting upon cathode 4 and adapted to receive chlorine generated in the cell and deliver it through pipe 2! to a chlorine resistant header (not shown). Cathode 4 is divided by an interior structure and diaphragm (not shown), into anode and cathode compartments. The anode compartment is filled with electrolyte and the cathode compartment with liquid product of electrolysis. The anodes and cathodes are connected through bus bars 22 and 23 to opposite conductors of a direct current generating system (not shown), and through the electrolyte and liquid product to each other. Means (not shown) are provided for supplying electrolyte to the cell through tube E3 to replace the electrolyte decomposed by electrolysis. From cathode A the liquid product of electrolysis, containing caustic soda and undecomposed sodium chloride, is discharged through effiuent pipe 1. This pipe is screwed into an opening in the front of wall 5 and bent upward parallel with the face of wall 5 and has its outer end curved downward to form a spout 8. Pipe 1 swings upon the thread by which it is screwed into wall 5 and is of such length and adapted to be set at such an angle that the crest 9 of its curved outer end is normally just below the upper flange of cathode 4. The height of this crest 9 determines the level of the liquid product within cathode Ii, which is therefore normally nearly filled with liquid. 10 is a funnel into which the effluent from pipe 1 is received after falling from the spout by gravity and H the header pipe by which it is carried away. As stated above, at certain times in the operation of such cells, it becomes necessary to empty the cathode completely, and this is done by swinging pipe 1 about its threaded end into the position greatly increased, so that grounding of the cell is liable to occur. To prevent grounding of the cell during normal operation, as well as during the emptying of the cathode, I append to spout 8 a device illustrated at I2. This device is illustrated more fully in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Referring to these figures, it will be seen that this device consists in a bucket I2, having side walls I 4 and bottom I5. Bucket I2 is suspended by hooks I6 from pins I1 which project from spout 8. Hooks I6 and pins I'I form a hinge, from which bucket I2 hangs. Bucket I2 therefore always hangs perpendicularly, regardless of the angle at which eifiuent pipe 'I may be set. The upper rim of bucket I2 is serrated as at I8, I8. The outer surfaces of Walls I 4 are ridged as at I9, I9 and the grooves between ridges I9 preferably terminate below in drip points 28, 20. Bucket I2, being of symmetrical form, always hangs so that its rim is horizontal. In operation, the stream of efiluent fills bucket I2 andoverflows over its rim. The overflowing liquid is divided by serrations I8, which act as weirs, into a plurality of small streams or trickles, (in practice I 4), these follow the grooves between ridges I9 and run 01f from drip points 20. The main stream of efiluent is thus positively divided into a, plurality of smaller streams, and these latter are each so small that they break up into droplets within a relatively short distance.

In order to prevent the copious main stream of efiluent being carried preferably made upward y convergent.

It will be noted that since the angle at which pipe I is set is variable, if bucket I2 were rigidly fixed to spout 8 it would be liable to be set at an means for continuously supplying thereto; and means for continuously withdrawing liquid product therefrom, including a grounded conductive header having an open mouth adapted to receive from the cell trode thereof, the product flowing by gravity in free fall for a partof its descent into said mouth: the combination therewith of means for preventing passage of electric current to ground through said header which comprises a bucket suspended DEANE O. HUBBARD. 

